Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of encouraging China to address illegal wildlife trade without UK Official Development Assistance.

The Government engages with a range of international partners, including China, to support action against the illegal wildlife trade and the implementation of international commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This includes, where appropriate, through programmes funded by Official Development Assistance, such as the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

Defra has not made separate assessments of the matters raised.